A vendor and customer exchange money at The Oneida County Farmers Market. The Foundation recently invested in the Farmers Market Federation of New York, led by Cornell Cooperative Extension to provide guidance and support to farmers market organizers and vendors.

The Community Foundation knows that a community cannot succeed without attention given toward economic development.

Thanks to carefully researched programs and partnerships, The Foundation is making economic development grants focused on building business, education and entrepreneurship in partnership with various groups, including The Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce, the City of Utica and Mohawk Valley Community College.

Currently, economic development grants focus on meeting the deficiencies laid out in hocindicators.org as well as attaining our 25/25 community goal:

To increase the percentage of adults in Herkimer County and Oneida County who have bachelor’s degrees to 25 percent by 2025.